Eric Reid ejected after hitting Ben Roethlisberger on slide

Eric Reid was ejected from Thursday night’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Carolina Panthers game after hitting Ben Roethlisberger as the quarterback was sliding on a scramble during the third quarter.

The Steelers had a 3rd-and-8 at the Carolina 32 with under two minutes to go in the third quarter. Roethlisberger took the snap in the shotgun and scrambled for a first down. The middle of the field was open, so he kept going and only began to slide as Reid was approaching him.

Reid dove into Big Ben as he was sliding and hit the defenseless quarterback in the head area.

Though Reid’s hit may be considered unnecessary, what should not be overlooked is how late Roethlisberger slid. If quarterbacks want the protection, they need to slide earlier otherwise they risk getting hit. When you see the play in real-time, Reid had no chance to avoid making contact with Roethlisberger.